Experiencing Veterans & Artists Collaboration Exhibit Opens at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport November 10th

November 10, 2017

Press Releases

A new exhibit, Experiencing Veterans & Artists Collaboration (EVAC) is now on display in the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Art Gallery on the Lower Terminal Level at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). CLE will host an opening reception on Friday, November 10th at 4pm. The exhibit will be on display through January 31st, 2018. 

“The City of Cleveland has a long history of supporting veterans and veteran’s issues,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Veteran’s Day is a day for us to reflect on this heritage and say thank you. It is important for them to know they will always have our support and heartfelt gratitude.” 

CLE has teamed up with Tiffin University’s EVAC Project, to highlight the stories of 21 veterans and one gold star mother, who served during World War II through Iraq and Afghanistan. The participants were interviewed by 22 artists from around the United States and Denmark about their military experiences. Each artist created an edition of prints based on their interpretation of each veteran’s response. 

EVAC works to combat the isolation common to veterans, and to bridge the sometimes precarious gap between military and civilian life through stories and art. 

“The City of Cleveland is a proud supporter of the military and our veterans. Mayor Jackson formed the Base Cleveland Veterans Committee years ago consisting of several City of Cleveland military veteran employees committed to promoting and actively supporting veteran’s issues,” said Fred Szabo, Assistant Director of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. “I am proud to serve on that committee and support the mayor’s vision by bringing this exhibit to Cleveland.” 

The exhibit is curated by Director of the Diane Kidd Gallery of Art Lee Fearnside, Assistant Professor of Art Joe Van Kerkhove, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Schupp. 

“EVAC is about the art of interpretation,” said Fearnside. “Veterans tell their life experiences as a series of stories and responses to prompted questions. Artists distill interviews, with durations ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours, down to a single image. Viewers will see the image and excerpts from the interviews side by side,” she added. 

EVAC’s presence at the airport is part of the CLE Temporary Art Exhibition Program. It was created to showcase the diversity of arts and culture of the Cleveland Plus region. Museums, cultural institutions, arts organizations as well as individual artists are afforded opportunities to exhibit their collections of original artwork and photography in the airport.